United Airlines announced that it will apply to the Department of Transportation to open a non-stop, year-round route from Washington Dulles Airport to Cape Town, South Africa.
A conference call held on May 13, led by Josh Earnest, United’s Chief Communications Officer, and Patrick Quayle, United’s senior vice president of international network and alliances, provided information regarding the new route and shared an outlook of United’s summer travel outlook.
The airline will apply to fly three times a week to the ‘Mother city’, “which is the logical and natural expansion of our international portfolio,” said Earnest.
He also cited bilateral trade treaties between Washington and Cape Town, the government-to-government connection, and the importance of the technological link between the cities.
This comes as Delta Air Lines’ application last month to fly a triangular routing between Atlanta and Cape Town – via Johannesburg was approved by South Africa’s Transport and Tourism ministry from Autumn 2022.
Cape Town, South Africa’s tourist hotspot and one destination sought out by the competing U.S carriers has been marred by controversy over an application by Delta Air Lines for flights to Cape Town as part of a triangular route between Atlanta and Johannesburg.